Ukraine wants foreign countries to ban Russian travelers

• Ukraine has called on foreign countries to ban Russian tourists from visiting their countries.
• Ukrainian officials say it would be the most effective way to end the war.
• Russia invaded Ukraine 6 months ago.

Ukraine has called on the EU and G7 to ban Russian travelers in a bid to end Russia’s invasion. NBC News reported.

The call has drawn mixed reactions from various countries, with some opposing the idea of ​​a visa ban for ordinary Russians, NBC News reported.

“We’re not talking about punishment, we’re talking about control measures aimed at ending the war,” Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu told NBC News. “The right to enter any particular country is not a human right.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously called for a ban on Russian tourists. The Washington Post Earlier this month “the most important sanctions are closing the borders – because the Russians are usurping someone else’s land.”

has become Over six months Since Russia invaded Ukraine.

A op-ed Earlier this week, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the ban on Russian tourists, businessmen and students was “an appropriate response to Russia’s genocidal war of aggression.”

“But why allow ordinary Russians?” Some ask. “Most of them support this war, cheering the killing of Ukrainian civilians, applauding missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and denying Russian war crimes,” Kuleba said.

Countries such as Germany and the United States have opposed visa bans for ordinary Russians.

“This is not the Russian people’s war, but Putin’s war,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. Politics.

Reuters “The United States does not intend to close pathways to asylum and protection for Russian dissidents or others who may be victims of human rights abuses,” a State Department spokesman said.

“We are also clear that it is important to draw a line between the actions of the Russian government and its policies in Ukraine and the people of Russia,” the spokesman added.

NBC News reports that Poland and Finland have come out in favor of banning Russian tourists. Finland has also said it will reduce the number of visas issued to Russians from next month. Reuters reported.